Chapter 907 If It Really Doesn’t Work, Revolt (4000 words)

It was almost known to everyone that the Emperor of the Great Zhou was mentally ill.

No one in the Zhou Dynasty court dared to offend him, for fear that he would have a seizure and drag them out to be beheaded.

Many officials felt that the Great Zhou would end sooner or later, so they adopted the mentality of doing their job as usual and only did their own work and would never do more.

Originally, Grand Tutor Tong was in charge of government affairs and kept the Great Zhou ship from going astray, but the Emperor of the Great Zhou dismissed him.

This time, the giant ship of Great Zhou, led by the Emperor of Great Zhou, madly crashed into the iceberg.

…

Gu Yunyan disguised herself and hid in Huang Jincheng's caravan.

This is her first time in Jiangnan after many years.

The south of the Yangtze River has beautiful water, beautiful scenery, and beautiful views. There are clusters of flowers everywhere, and there is no sign of panic.

News from Kyoto was continuously transmitted back, and everyone felt that Emperor Gu Nanxi of Dayun was already satisfied with occupying a large tract of land north of the Yangtze River and would definitely not move south.

In teahouses and taverns, besides the cries of small vendors, there are also the loud conversations of scholars and children from wealthy families.

"The three kingdoms of Gaochang have surrendered, Xixia has surrendered, and Dayun has sent troops to Goryeo. They are too busy to attack the Great Zhou."

"It seems that our Great Zhou is the most stable place in the world. The Emperor of Dayun is militaristic and aggressive. I wonder how miserable the people of Dayun are."

A businessman who traveled between Dayun and Dazhou couldn't help but speak for Dayun: "I see that Dayun is developing very rapidly. Last autumn, the output doubled, and the Dayun court reduced the agricultural tax. Moreover, since Dayun conquered the three kingdoms of Xixia and Gaochang, both the mountain road to the west and the sea route to the east have been very smooth."

This statement was quickly refuted by others: "This is all written in the Yunzhou Weekly, right? Dayun is best at public opinion offensives. Who knows whether what is said above is true or false?"

The businessman argued: "I go to Dayun often, how could I not know?"

"You went to Kyoto, not the north! Kyoto is a capital city that has been around for a hundred years. How can other cities compare to its prosperity? The prosperity you saw was the result of hundreds of years of painstaking efforts by the Great Zhou. What does it have to do with Dayun?"

The businessman took one look at the man's attire, which made him look like a son of a wealthy family, and then he kept silent.

The wealthy families of the Great Zhou have always been at odds with Emperor Dayun.

Every time Emperor Dayun conquered a place, he would target the aristocratic families. In addition, she vigorously supported commoner students and suppressed the power of the aristocratic families in the court.

Such a move is equivalent to digging up the roots of a wealthy family.

Looking at the entire north, only the noble families in Xiangzhou have a better life.

But this kind of good life was obtained by the noble families' servility to Emperor Dayun.

He offered his legitimate son to the Konghe Mansion, and contributed money, effort and manpower, only in this way could he gain a little stability.

Therefore, the wealthy families of the Great Zhou looked down upon this group of people from Xiangzhou and felt that they had brought shame upon the families. In the latest ranking of wealthy families, they simply removed the families from Xiangzhou from the list without even mentioning them.

Gu Yunyan stood by the window, watching the people below talking about it, and said with a smile: "The people in Jiangnan are just like those in Kyoto, they are very gossipy."

Huang Jincheng smiled and said, "They are all wealthy places, so the people are more lively."

Once you leave Jiangnan, you’ll find a whole different world.

"Okay, don't rest, we still have a lot to do."

Taishi Tong's Mansion.

Mrs. Tong, the Grand Tutor, was in tears every day.

Master Tong personally went to the kitchen and made her a bowl of vegetable noodles, and advised: "Madam, you haven't eaten much these days. People are made of iron and rice is made of steel, so please eat a little. This is made by your husband himself, so give me some face."

Mrs. Tong Tai Shi's taste was bitter from mouth to heart, and she had no appetite at all. But she still picked up the chopsticks, picked up a noodle, and stuffed it into her mouth. It tasted like chewing wax.

Upon seeing this, Master Tong secretly sighed, "Madam, the King of the West Sea from Dayun has come to our Yingtian Prefecture. She must be coming for us."

Mrs. Tong raised her eyes, her eyes were red and swollen, and there were many more white hairs on her temples: "Will they save our grandson?"

"meeting."

Mrs. Tong clenched her hands, her voice trembling, "You have been dismissed from your post now. What can you get from us?"

Exchange of interests is the most common thing in official circles. If his own family has no value, how could the King of the West Sea devote himself to treating the prince?

Master Tong held his wife's hand, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, his eyes revealed a domineering look: "I have been in power for decades, and I know the virtues of the royal family very well, how can I not have a backup plan?"

Mrs. Tong looked at her husband intently: "You are..."

Master Tong stretched out his hands, held the lady in his arms, rested his chin lightly on the top of her head, and let out a long sigh.

He was exhausted as he spoke: "I am tired, really, really tired. The Great Zhou was in tatters, but I was mending it. In the dead of night, I often ask myself, who am I worthy of in my life?"

"If you ignore your ideals and abuse your power, you are doing yourself a disservice."

"I have been busy with official business all day and have not been able to fulfill my duties as a husband. I am sorry, Madam."

"You knew that Your Majesty was not a good match, but you did not stop Xiaomao from marrying him. You are unworthy of being a father."

Mrs. Tong wanted to raise her head to comfort her husband, but a pair of dry big hands pressed her head back.

She pressed her face against Master Tong's chest, listening to his steady, powerful heartbeat.

The big hand behind his head was no longer as warm and tender as it was when he was young, but instead had the coldness of old age.

When my husband was young, his fire was as strong as a charcoal stove. Standing there, he was like a mountain, able to withstand countless winds and snow.

But now, his blood ran cold.

Mrs. Tong Tai Shi's eyes were sore. She sniffed, stretched out her hands, and hugged Tong Tai Shi's waist.

Master Tong's gaze fell on the green brick and white tile courtyard wall, on which were a few small birds, combing their feathers with their beaks.

His voice carried the traces of time and the confusion of looking back on his life.

"I think I have done my duty to the people of the world, to the imperial court of the Zhou Dynasty, and to the great grace of the emperor. But looking back on the past, I feel extremely frustrated."

After working diligently for decades, the Great Zhou lost half of its territory. Not only would he lose the lives of his daughter and grandson, but even the lives of the entire mansion.

Is it worth it?

Mrs. Tong choked up and said, "You tried your best. It's our fate to have such a Majesty."

Master Tong put his arms together. Yes, who made him run into such a king?

He was so afraid of death that even the combined efforts of Xiaomaoer and the Queen failed to kill him in the harem.

He is so crazy that no one knows when he will have an attack and drag the Great Zhou into the quagmire.

Master Tong stroked his wife's smooth long hair, as if talking to her, or perhaps talking to himself: "How many years do I have left to live? I should live for myself at least once."

His gaze passed through the blue-white courtyard wall, as if he wanted to meet Gu Nanxi's gaze in the Kyoto Imperial Palace on the north bank of the Yangtze River.

Is the tacit understanding from the past still there?

Does the recruitment in the past still count?

In three days, Gu Yunyan used his actions to tell Master Tong that the tacit understanding between him and A Niang was still there!

In the study room of Grand Tutor Tong’s residence.

Master Tong walked in holding his wife's hand and said, "Let me introduce you to some guests."

Mrs. Tong was puzzled: "Aren't we under house arrest? Who else can come in?"

Master Tong smiled and walked in.

There were two people sitting in the study. One was Huang Jincheng, who often dealt with her, and the other was the famous King of the West Sea.

"This..." Mrs. Tong, the Grand Tutor's wife, was shocked.

Why did the King of West Sea come to my house? If the Emperor of Great Zhou knew about this, wouldn't he go crazy? !

Also, how could His Majesty Dayun be so bold as to send the King of West Sea to Jiangnan!

For a moment, Mrs. Tong didn't know how to react. She turned her head to look at her husband, only to see that he rarely showed a sincere smile.

"Thank you, King of the West Sea, for your help. My little cat only has this one child, and she treats him as the apple of her eye, her sweetheart. If she loses the child, I'm afraid she will lose half her life."

Gu Yunyan bowed and saluted: "Master Tong, you are too polite. The child is innocent. We in Dayun already have a method to treat chickenpox. How could we bear to see a little child die because of this?"

Mrs. Tong Taishi heard that the King of Xihai had saved her grandson, and she was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes. With trembling lips, she leaned forward to salute and thanked him repeatedly: "Thank you, King of Xihai. We will remember this kindness in our hearts."

Gu Yunyan helped Mrs. Tong, the Grand Tutor, up and said sincerely, "This is just a small matter that I did on purpose. Madam, don't worry about it. I'm sure Grand Tutor Tong knows the purpose of my visit."

Mrs. Tong, the Grand Tutor's wife, looked at her husband, confused.

When did my husband become friends with the King of the West Sea?

Master Tong held his wife's hand and patted it soothingly.

He looked at the King of the West Sea in front of him. He had a handsome face, an upright posture, clear eyes, and confidence in his every move.

"King of the West Sea has changed a lot. I can't remember what you looked like when you were fourteen or fifteen."

Several people sat down together.

Gu Yunyan recalled her ignorant appearance when she was young, and smiled knowingly: "I was so naive back then, I am sorry to have embarrassed Master Tong."

Thinking back then, in her mind, Grand Tutor Tong was the number one villain in the entire Great Zhou, a treacherous minister who would be infamous for eternity and would definitely be hated by everyone.

But when she grew up and saw countless people and things, she could understand why her mother did not kill Master Tong, but instead often felt sorry for him.

On the issue of the Tartars, A Niang and Master Tong had different political views, but essentially they both wanted to maintain the stability of the people of the Great Zhou.

A'niang believed that the Tartars were wild and difficult to tame, and that they had to be beaten so hard that they would not dare to invade the border again.

Tong Taishi believed that every war would be a loss to the country's strength and would cause countless deaths. If you only need to pay some money to buy stability, why not do it? The most important thing is that the Great Zhou army lost nine out of ten battles against the Tartars.

When Yunzhou and the Tartars fought their final battle, Grand Tutor Tong spared no effort to support Yunzhou.

Thinking of this, Gu Yunyan said with deep emotion: "Master Tong has really worked hard over the years."

He gritted his teeth and pulled Da Zhou forward, grunting and panting, but was held back by the Emperor of Da Zhou.

Whenever anything went wrong, Master Tong was always blamed.

Judging from public opinion, when the people of the Great Zhou talked about Master Tong, who did the most, they all regarded him as a treacherous minister, a bully who had the final say and made people dare not speak out.

But when people talk about Lord Li, who only knows how to practice Tai Chi, speaks very beautifully but does very little, they have a much higher opinion of him.

Even the people believed that the reason why Lord Li did not clean up the government was because Grand Tutor Tong suppressed him in the court.

Gu Yunyan sighed repeatedly. If it were her, she would have quit long ago. It was not easy for Master Tong to hold on until now. He was really loyal to the Great Zhou.

Gu Yunyan: "Before I left, my mother repeatedly told me to come and see you and the imperial concubine."

"My mother has always remembered the convenience you provided us in our trip to Yunzhou. She has something she wants me to tell you."

"What?"

"Dayun's door is always open to you."

Grand Tutor Tong did not say anything, but Grand Tutor Tong's wife, who was standing beside him, showed a hint of understanding in her eyes. So that's it.

Gu Yunyan knew that even though Master Tong's attitude was slightly inclined towards Dayun, it was impossible to make him completely change sides with just one word from A'niang.

Don't rush, take your time.

The four of them briefly chatted about some other topics, just to keep in touch with each other.

Gu Yunyan said goodbye only when it was getting dark.

In addition to the Grand Tutor's Mansion, Huang Jincheng asked curiously, "Are we still coming?"

"Come."

Unfortunately, the news leaked out from somewhere that King Dayun Xihai was coming to Jiangnan.

When Gu Yunyan dressed up and prepared to visit Master Tong again, she found that the inn she was in was surrounded by a group of fully armed soldiers of the Great Zhou.

The leading general rode on a white horse. The long scar on his cheek looked even more hideous. His aura was like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, making it impossible to look directly at him.

He looked at Gu Yunyan who was walking out of the door and said with a smile: "How can the King of West Sea stay in a small inn when he comes to Yingtian Prefecture? His Majesty invites you to the palace for a chat. Many old friends are waiting to see you."

Gu Yunyan sighed, took off the wig on her head, and said calmly, "It turns out to be General Li. His Majesty thinks highly of me and actually sent you here."

Li Aotian found a familiar shadow on Gu Yunyan's face.

This is the son of an old friend.

"It's because the King of the West Sea is so powerful that we didn't know where you were until almost half a decade after you came to Yingtian Prefecture. If we let you return to Dayun without anyone noticing, wouldn't His Majesty Dayun blame us? He would blame us for not knowing how to entertain guests."

"Tsk." Gu Yunyan is no longer the ignorant little girl. Now that she is married and has children, she can naturally understand the things between men and women.

Li Aotian seemed to be looking at himself, but in fact he was looking at A Niang through himself.

Gu Yunyan didn't like this kind of look, so she put her hands behind her back and walked away: "General Li, please lead the way."

"Please get in the car, King Xihai."

"No, I just like walking."

She was followed by twenty or so people from Dayun, walking slowly on the streets of Yingtian Prefecture.

She looked so carefree, as if she was not caught but was really here for a trip.

The people around looked at them and talked about them.

"Is she the Queen of the West Sea of Dayun? She's so pretty."

"No matter how pretty she is, it's useless. We are all screwed now. I wonder what price His Majesty will offer to let her go?"

"According to my opinion, why not exchange the King of the West Sea for Kyoto?"

"How can one capital be enough? Without the protection of prefectures and counties, there is only one capital north of the Yangtze River, which will be surrounded by enemies on all sides and will eventually be snatched back by Dayun. At the very least, we need to add Xiangzhou or Guangde Prefecture!"

"His Majesty Dayun will not agree. After all, the King of the West Sea is just a daughter, and she has two sons."